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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23418610">Blue Storms</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/soviet_Crab/pseuds/soviet_Crab'>soviet_Crab</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>1917 (Movie 2019)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>He Needs Rest, I'm Sorry, M/M, Pacific Rim AU, Scho is only tired because he's seen some shit, This is very niche, Will is Tired</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 09:12:53</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>13,323</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23418610</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/soviet_Crab/pseuds/soviet_Crab</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Tom's Jaeger has been fixed up and is ready to go. Only problem is he doesn't have a co-pilot.</p><p>for @ecoustsaintmein on tumblr</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Tom Blake &amp; William Schofield, Tom Blake/William Schofield</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>26</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Shatterdome</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tom shook awake. The details of the dream already sliding off him. It did not matter though. He knew what it was about. He had been having the same dream for a while now. Tom stumbled out of bed and got dressed. His bag had been packed the night before. There was not too much he needed to bring. He had been called to the Shatterdome.<br/>
The trip was uneventful. Train, plane, shuttle, plane, taxi. He was told that his Jaeger had been refurbished and they were looking for a new co-pilot for him. After the failure of the Wall they were temporarily reviving the Jaeger program. Supposedly they were going to shut the Breach. He had no idea how that was supposed to work.<br/>
Tom arrived at the Shatterdome just after sunset. It was stunning, all lit up. Two figures approached him. One held out his hand, “You must be Tom Blake.” Tom took his hand, “I’m General Erinmore, this,” he gestured to the man on his right, “is Aaron Greene. He helped to rebuild your Jaeger.”<br/>
“Nice to meet you.” There was something about Aaron that Tom did not like. He could not quite put his finger on it. Aaron had a round face and short, dark hair. It looked as though he had not shaved in some time.<br/>
“Let me show you around and then you can get settled in.” Erinmore started walking back to the Shatterdome, Aaron and Tom in tow.<br/>
The remaining Jaegers were stored in the docking bay. Their respective pilots were making themselves busy over minor repairs or playing games. Erinmore introduced Tom to a few others and then handed him off to Aaron to show him to his Jaeger. Aaron led him through a maze of corridors, that Tom was sure he would never remember, and finally to a large steel door.<br/>
“I’ve not quite finished it yet but the chasie is mostly done and it’s got all the guts. That Kaiju really did a number on the cockpit,” he announced, proud of his work. A long buried memory swelled up in Tom and he pushed it back under the surface.<br/>
Aaron held a keycard up to the door and it slid open to reveal a small viewing platform. They were about halfway up from the floor and Tom’s old Jaeger stood in front of them, Gipsy Danger. A man stood up from behind a desk, “I’m Lieutenant Leslie, your director.”<br/>
“Tom Blake,” he shook his hand and gestured to the Jaeger, “She’s beautiful isn’t she?”<br/>
“Always was one of my favorites,” Leslie moved back to his desk.<br/>
Aaron clapped him on the shoulder, “First thing tomorrow we’ll start testing for your co-pilot. I’ve got a list of possible partners already lined up. Be at the Training centre by six.” And he was gone, leaving Tom to find the barracks on his own.<br/>
The hallways had coloured lines to show where things were, however, Tom had no idea which colour meant what. After a few minutes of contemplation he decided on yellow. The line took him past the command block and what looked like a shitty courtyard. After a while he was beginning to wonder if this was the right direction, or even on the right line. The hallways became narrower and doors became more frequent. Each door had a number on it. Tom took out a slip of paper, a letter. He was in room 26. The door next to him was labeled 17.<br/>
Someone stumbled into the hallway a few doors down, he had an empty bottle in his hand. He looked at it, then at Tom, “Y’got anything I can drink?” he asked with a slight slur.<br/>
“No, sorry.”<br/>
“Mm,” the man looked past Tom and down the hall.<br/>
“What’s your name?”<br/>
“Will Schofield,” Will sat down outside the door, “an’ I don’t give a fuck who you are,” he raised the bottle to his lips, only to remember that it was empty, and then sighed in defeat. Tom figured that was his queue and continued down the hall.<br/>
Room 26 was almost uncomfortably small. Almost. There was a twin bed, a small desk with a chair, and a little nightstand. Tom set his bag down on the floor next to the nightstand and dropped onto the bed, falling asleep almost immediately. For the first time in a long time he dreamt of something peaceful. He dreamt of cherry trees full of blossoms, drifting gently down to where he lay below on the grass. He was calm.</p><p>    The small alarm on Tom’s watch began to beep at five in the morning. It was a soft sound but it was enough to wake him up. He slowly opened his eyes and rubbed the sleep from them. Digging in his backpack got him clean clothes and a toothbrush. He got dressed and brushed his teeth dry, as he could not be bothered to find toothpaste, and left for the cafeteria. Tom had seen it on his way in and knew it was the green line.<br/>
The Shatterdome was a maze to navigate and he was beginning to wonder if that was intentional. There were at least five lines on the floor at all times and the hallways and doors all looked the same.<br/>
The cafeteria was a long, tall, room full of different people trying to get something to eat. There were some shitty vending machines with food and drinks and even one with over-the-counter pills. Will was at this one. He had a small bottle of hangover pills and was pouring a few out. Tom walked past him to get something to eat.<br/>
The food was all about the same. Flavourless protein mash. They would try to label it as something else but it all tasted awful. Tom grabbed a packet of the stuff and sat down at an empty table. He did not want to eat too much since he would have to be at the Training centre soon and he was already not feeling well. He studied the wall next to the entrance while he ate. On it was a poster with the colours and what they mean. Orange would take him to the Training centre, blue to the hangar, and red to the labs and tech shop. Tom finished his not-meal and got up to leave. On his way out he passed Will again. He was staring at the table and holding his head.<br/>
“You alright?” Tom asked.<br/>
“I’ll be fine,” he looked up and groaned, “Sorry for being an ass last night.”<br/>
“You were drunk, I understand,” and Tom left.<br/>
It was not very far to the Training centre but it was long enough for him to start regretting coming here. He knew he needed to help, his was the only other Jaeger they had left, but he really did not want to be here. Home was so far away. The letter had briefed him on the mission. Kaiju attacks were becoming more frequent and with increased traffic, they were hoping the breach would stabilize. At least long enough for someone to drop a nuke down it. Tom did not think it would work but that was something he would keep to himself.<br/>
The hallways became more crowded the closer he got. He did not need this to be a show. All he wanted was to find a co-pilot and begin practice. The Training centre was a small room with a large mat in the middle and racks of weapons along the walls. Aaron Greene was standing in the middle of the mat with a clipboard and pen in hand. He looked up when Tom took off his shoes and socks and stepped onto the mat.<br/>
“You’re here. Good. Have you ever done this before?” he asked.<br/>
“No. My co-pilot was my brother.” Tom pushed back the memories.<br/>
“Alright. Well it’s simple, you’ll go against each candidate with a bo staff. First to four points wins. The right one should match your moves almost perfectly,” Aaron scribbled something on his clipboard.<br/>
“Sounds easy enough.” He shrugged his jacket off and tossed it onto his shoes.<br/>
The first dozen candidates went by fairly quickly. Some looked too young to have even been in a Jaeger. Only a few ever landed a hit. One, a young girl, got two in. She still lost in the end though. There were only a small number of people left. As the next candidate stepped onto the mat and took off his jacket, Tom realized it was Will Schofield. He was wearing an undershirt and sweatpants but Tom could still see how thin he was. There was red around his eyes that told of many sleepless nights and moved sluggishly when handling his staff.<br/>
“If I’d have known you were a pilot I’d have been nicer,” he let his staff fall to his side.<br/>
“Don’t worry about it.”<br/>
Aaron announced the start of the match.<br/>
Tom attacked and Will did nothing. He stood perfectly still, keeping his grip on his staff loose. One point. Will blinked slowly and raised his staff to fight. Tom swung again and knocked it clean out of his hands.<br/>
“Guess I’m out then,” he walked to the edge of the mat.<br/>
“That’s ridiculous! At least try!” Tom was pissed.<br/>
Will looked back at him. He looked exhausted, “Fine,” he sighed. He picked up his staff and stood ready. Tom lunged. Will dodged and caught him in the back. One point. He spun around and landed his staff a few inches from Will’s right ear. One point. Will looked alert now and Tom moved back, already seeing an attack coming. He caught his staff with his own flung it away. This time Will kept hold of it and stopped just before hitting Tom’s knee. Two points.<br/>
This was different from the other fights. There was energy. Will dodged a blow and swept his staff across the floor. Tom jumped and aimed for his neck. Will caught it and flung Tom onto the floor, holding him there. Three points. Tom let go and Will hopped up, staff at his side. They both moved in and Will hit the back of his knee, dropping Tom to the floor. He was on top of him, trying to get the staff against his neck. Tom was pushing back with his own. He flipped Will off him and pressed his staff against his chest. Two points.<br/>
They were both breathing hard. Tom stood and turned to Aaron,<br/>
“Him, he’s the one.”<br/>
Aaron raised an eyebrow, “If you say so.” He scribbled something and turned to leave.<br/>
Tom looked behind him to find Will sprawled out on the mat. He offered his hand, “Tom Blake.”<br/>
Will took it.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Testing</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>this should be the longest chapter. should be. the next one might be a while tho. believe it or not i dont just sit and write all day.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Will! Wait!”</p>
<p>The growing crowd around the mat had mostly dispersed. Will had gotten up, gathered his things, and was now walking down the hall barefoot. All the energy Tom saw during the fight was gone. Will got to his room, number seventeen, when Tom finally caught up with him. He grabbed his arm and Will spun on him.</p>
<p>“Why the fuck would you pick me?” </p>
<p>Tom let go, “Because we lined up. Didn’t you notice?”</p>
<p>“Of course I did,” his tone was uneven, “I just can’t understand why you think I would make a good co-pilot.” He stepped into his room and closed the door behind him, leaving Tom utterly confused.</p>
<p>The hallway was uncomfortably quiet and Tom was sore from the fight. He wandered slowly back to his own room. The door swung easily open and Tom kicked it shut behind him. He then flopped onto his cot and pulled out a small envelope from a pocket in his backpack. In it were old polaroid photos of him and his brother. He dumped the contents into his palm and flicked through them a few times. Tom held the photos close to his chest and stared at the ceiling.</p>
<p>The back of his head was throbbing and his right shoulder was badly bruised. Tom does not notice falling asleep at first. It only sinks in when he feels the pain shoot through his left arm. The rest of the dream is the same as always. </p>
<p>***</p>
<p>It is two thirty now. Tom scratches the back of his head and regrets it instantly. He winces when he gets up. Everything hurts on a low level and he is hungry. He put the photos back into their envelope and tucked it safely away in his bag. Tom paused outside of room number 17. He looked at the door, his mind spinning. No. It would only make things worse. </p>
<p>He followed the green line to the cafeteria and looked sadly at the packets. He missed real food. Tom grabbed a random packet and a plastic spoon and leaned against the wall to eat. The label said it was some sort of meat but it tasted like grass. He spotted Lieutenant Leslie out of the corner of his eye. Leslie saw him too and started in his direction. He was eating raw spam with his fingers.</p>
<p>“I heard what happened at the Training centre,” he said as he reached Tom, “You really picked Schofield?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, we were drift compatible. Why is that such a big deal to everyone?”</p>
<p>“You don’t know? His old co-pilot snapped and killed himself. He didn’t line up with anyone else so they decommissioned his Jaeger.” Leslie paused to shovel more spam into his mouth, “He just kinda gave up after that. Y’know?”</p>
<p>His co-pilot killed himself? That must have destroyed Will. And it looks like it did if they decommissioned his Jaeger.</p>
<p>Tom thought for a moment, “If he didn’t line up with anyone, why match him against me?”</p>
<p>“He was one of our best fighters. If there was even a chance he might be compatible with you we had to take it.” </p>
<p>There was a silence between the two. Tom finished his ‘food’ and turned to Leslie.</p>
<p>“Do you know if there are any free simulators? I want to get used to the job again.”</p>
<p>“Oh, yeah! Er. I think there’s one free at three twenty?” Someone called Leslie’s name.</p>
<p>“Oi! Sampson!”</p>
<p>Sampson, Tom recognized, was one of the other Jaeger pilots. He was holding a small pudding cup and a crowd was quickly forming.</p>
<p>“Where did you get one of those!” Leslie yelled, running into the crowd.</p>
<p>Tom shook his head, laughing under his breath. In front of him was a group of at least thirty adults, losing their minds over a pudding cup. Sampson was holding the cup triumphantly above his head as they all clawed at him. Tom vaguely wondered how long some of them had been there.</p>
<p>The purple line would take him to the simulators. Each one was a small room, big enough for one man, with a headset and visor attached to the ceiling. Sensors around the room picked up one's movements so there was no need for a suit. There was no drifting and no co-pilot. All it was was for training purposes or, in Tom’s case, to get used to being in a Jaeger. <br/>The lab tech helped Tom get everything straight and then went to turn on the simulation. A tone informed him that the simulated kaiju was a category three. Tom let everything fall away and focused his efforts on the kaiju. It took around ten minutes for him to finally get it down. The comms crackled to life.</p>
<p>“There’s still some time left before the next one. Do you want to try a category four?”</p>
<p>Tom lifted up the visor. He should really save his energy in case there was an attack. But he needed to distract his mind and this was the best way to do it.</p>
<p>“Sure,” he announced before putting the visor back on.</p>
<p>This time it took him almost fifteen minutes. It was bigger than he expected. By the time he was done half of the virtual city was destroyed. He would need to work on that at some point. Tom took off the visor and headset and hung them back on their respective hooks. The next pilot to come in was Sampson. Turns out his little brother sent him the pudding and a few other snacks after he complained about the food.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>At around six Tom went back to the cafeteria. The massive clock on the wall told that there would be another event soon. A lot of the workers were having a celebration for the pilots. Someone brought in a dangerous amount of liquor and everyone’s faces had a dusting of pink. Two of the pilots were refusing to drink trying to keep their heads clear. Tom saw nothing wrong with a few drinks as long as it was only a few.</p>
<p>He milled around for a bit, chatting with other pilots. Work on Gipsy was almost done and they were going to test her conn-pod tomorrow. It would be his first drift with Will. Maybe a few more drinks.<br/>Tom could see Aaron at one of the tables playing a very intense card game with a few others. His face was red. Tom wound his way through the crowd towards him. Aaron spotted him and called out to him.</p>
<p>“Blake!” he gestured roughly to the equally red-faced woman beside him, “This is my sister, Peyton. She’s one o’ the, er. One o’ the,” he was clearly struggling. </p>
<p>“Pilots?” Tom offered.</p>
<p>“Yes! Pilots! Tha’s it.”</p>
<p>The game they were playing turned out to be some unnecessarily complicated version of poker. They seemed to be betting with anything but money as well. Someone’s boot was even on the pile. Looking around the faces there, Tom spotted Will. He looked absolutely sloshed and his face was a violent shade of red. They all put down their cards and all of their hands were terrible. Will came out on top and, therefore, won the boot as well as a fistfull of other micselanious objects. They cheered. One man, probably the owner of the boot, looked away in shame. Will scooped his treasures towards him and grinned smugly. He reached for a bottle of brown liquid and Tom snatched it away.</p>
<p>“I think you’ve had enough. We have a test tomorrow.” Will grumbled and tried to reach past him to the bottle. </p>
<p>“Give tha’ back.” Will stumbled dangerously and Tom was worried he was going to fall.</p>
<p>“No. You’re already going to be practically useless tomorrow and I don’t need you dead.”</p>
<p>This seemed to have an affect on Will. He stopped as if in thought, picked up his treasures, politely leaving the boot, and stuffed them in his pockets.</p>
<p>“He’s got a point,” Will announced to the rest of the group, “I’m gonna need some sleep.” He stood up sharply and immediately collapsed against Tom. The others laughed.</p>
<p>Tom got Will’s arm around his shoulder and helped get him back to the barracks. The going was slow and he was sure Will could barely see. Will started digging in one of his jacket pockets and pulled out the bottle of hangover pills. He took four. Tom kept his laugh to himself. Those would do nothing to stop the pain in the morning.</p>
<p>They reached room seventeen almost ten minutes later. Tom propped Will against the wall and opened the door. The man was practically asleep on his feet. They made it inside, leaving the door slightly ajar behind them.</p>
<p>“If I’d know we ‘ad a test tomorrow I’d’ve drunk less,” Will grumbled as he kicked off his shoes and dropped to his cot.</p>
<p>“It’s not your fault. The hangover tomorrow will be bad enough.”</p>
<p>“Would you mind stayin’? I don’ need nightmares tonight,” he rolled onto his side.</p>
<p>Tom understood. He had them too.</p>
<p>“Of course Will,” he sank into the chair by the desk.</p>
<p>“Scho,” he mumbled, half asleep.</p>
<p>“Hmm?”</p>
<p>“That’s what m’friends call me.”</p>
<p>“Alright then, Scho it is.”</p>
<p>And then they were asleep.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>“What do you mean they broke? Those were brand new!” Leslie shouted.</p>
<p>The poor tech he was shouting at took the busted receiver off the desk and bolted. </p>
<p>“What’s happening Lieutenant?” Erinmore asked.</p>
<p>Leslie jumped, “One of the receivers on the left arm broke Sir.”</p>
<p>“Impossible. We just got them.”</p>
<p>“That’s what I told him. He said when they opened the panel to check that they were broken.”</p>
<p>“And what do you think happened?”</p>
<p>“I think the workers broke them and are trying to hide it. Like they always do,” Leslie went about turning on the various monitors and booting up the Jaeger. </p>
<p>The General sighed, “I’ll see if I can get my hands on some more but I can’t guarantee anything. Jaeger parts are getting increasingly rare.” </p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Tom’s back was still stiff from the night spent in the chair. It made it a little difficult to put on his suit but he could manage. Scho looked like death warmed up. He put on his gear with half lidded eyes and winced when he moved too fast. He had downed the rest of the hangover pills that morning and Tom was not fast enough to see how many that was. The techs tightened down their suits and they were ready to go. After they both put on their helmets, Leslie’s voice crackled in their ear. Scho twitched at the noise.</p>
<p>“How are you two? Nevermind, I don’t care. Listen, some dumbass broke the receivers for the left arm and it’s gonna be a day or two to replace them. Don’t go punching any Kaiju with it just yet,” he <br/>sounded pissed.</p>
<p>“Alright,” Tom replied, trying to be quiet for Scho.</p>
<p>Scho made a noise that everyone silently agreed was a confirmation.</p>
<p>They trudged across the walkway and into the conn-pod. Tom moved to take the right, “Do you mind? My left arm is kinda shot.”</p>
<p>“No. It’s fine,” Scho said with an even tone. He stepped into the left.</p>
<p>Leslie’s voice, “Neural handshake in three. Two. One.”</p>
<p>Tom could feel the weight of the Jaeger in his head. The first few seconds were like getting his skull crushed in. They always are. Suddenly his memories flash before him, interspersed with others he does not recognize. Those must be from Scho. Tom had never had someone with such different memories in his head before. He barely takes notice of what they are, only feeling the emotions they carry. He notes that an upsetting amount of them are cold and lonely. </p>
<p>He can see the cherry trees at home, his brother helping pick them in the summer. His brother. No. The worst is almost past. He can not lose himself to the drift now.</p>
<p>“Hey, you two are out of alignment!” Leslie.</p>
<p>“It’s alright. I got it under control,” Scho.</p>
<p>“You’re stabilizing but Blake is off the charts! Bring him back!”</p>
<p>“Tom, you’ve gotta listen to me. None of this is real.”</p>
<p>Tom can hear them but he can do nothing. He is stuck. Watching his brother die. Feeling it. The fear, the pain. It is all so real. He is frozen, helpless as the memory flashes around him. It was supposed to be him. He had smashed his finger in a door that morning and Joe had taken his place on the right. He was only trying to help. </p>
<p>Tom vaguely became aware of Scho’s presence beside him. He was saying something. Tom could not hear him over the screech of tearing metal. The kaiju’s massive claws were beginning to pierce through the right side of the conn-pod. </p>
<p>“...real. Tom. It’s only a memory.”</p>
<p>Scho.</p>
<p>“Follow my voice. None of this is real Tom.”</p>
<p>He turned to the left, the memory beginning to collapse. Scho was standing beside him. He could feel the worry rolling off him. Concern for Tom.</p>
<p>“There, see? It’s okay. You’re alright.” </p>
<p>The memory splintered around him. His vision cleared. This was real.</p>
<p>“I’m cutting the power,” Leslie informed them.</p>
<p>Tom could feel his legs about ready to give out. Scho felt it too and took off his helmet to help him. He got Tom out of the rigging and helped him back to the control room. He was a mess and all he wanted to do now was lay down. Tears streamed from his eyes without his permission. Leslie was approaching them. He was fuming. </p>
<p>“What the fuck was that Blake? I thought you knew what you were doing!”</p>
<p>“Leave him be. He needs rest,” Scho’s voice was level. </p>
<p>Tom gripped Scho’s arm like a lifeline. He could feel his heartbeat in his ears. The memory was fighting him, still fresh behind his eyes. <br/>Scho pushed past the Lieutenant and into the narrow corridor to the lab. Tom could almost stand on his own now but his grip on the older man's arm stayed firm. </p>
<p>The techs helped get the suits off of them and Tom tugged his jacket back on. He was freezing. They were on their way out when one of the techs stopped them. Her name tag said Lansch.</p>
<p>“The General wants to talk to you Blake.”</p>
<p>“Thank you,” he mumbled.</p>
<p>“Will you be okay?” Scho asked, a hand on his shoulder.</p>
<p>“I’ll be fine. I can do this.”</p>
<p>Lansch turned and led Tom through the halls. The fear he felt was losing its grip on him. It was replaced with exhaustion. He was not sure if he would even make it to the General. Doors became less frequent and more of them required passcodes. One was left slightly open. That is where the tech stopped. She gestured for Tom to enter and then left. He stepped tentatively into the room. </p>
<p>It was long and lit by a large floor to ceiling window. A small console was placed across from it. General Erinmore sat behind it, looking at the data from the test. Tom watched the lines representing Scho stabilize while his only became more erratic. They continued to decay even after the power was cut as his helmet was still registering his emotions.</p>
<p>“Close the door,” Erinmore instructed with an even tone.</p>
<p>Tom did as he was told. The door shut with a soft thud. The General stopped the recording, “What the hell happened?” His voice was unsettlingly soft. Blake opened his mouth to explain but Erinmore cut him off.</p>
<p>“I don’t expect you to answer that. Just. Let me think.” He held his head in his hands and sighed deeply. Tom did not know what to do.</p>
<p>“I made a mistake, calling you here. I should’ve known you’d be too weak to drift. We were lucky Gipsy was not at full power. God knows what could’ve happened.” </p>
<p>Tom stood perfectly still. It was everything he could do to not collapse. Drifting with Scho had taken so much from him.</p>
<p>Erinmore continued, “I’m dropping you from the program Blake. Unfortunately, the soonest we can spare a transport for you is next week. During that time you will be expected to assist in finding and training new pilots for Gipsy Danger. Other than that, you are dismissed,” he waved him off.</p>
<p>He was crushed. The walk back to the barracks did not even register. He drifted like a ghost down the hallways. Through the haze of his thoughts, he spotted Scho, standing by Tom’s door with an unopened bottle of cheap wine.</p>
<p>“I thought you might need a drink. Talks with the General always do.”</p>
<p>Tom laughed half heartedly, “Yes please.”</p>
<p>The two stepped inside and took off jackets and kicked off shoes. They both sat on Tom’s cot and took turns drinking from the bottle. It tasted horrible. Tom did not care. He could feel the flush slowly creeping onto his face. When about half of the wine was gone he leaned into Scho and Scho draped an arm around him. They continued drinking.</p>
<p>“What did he say t’ you?” Scho asked.</p>
<p>“Said I wasn’t good enough. Said I’m out o’ the program.”</p>
<p>“He can’t do that! It’s your bloody Jaeger!”</p>
<p>“An’ I’d’ve told him that but I’m a fuckin’ pansy,” Tom took another deep drink.</p>
<p>“You’re not a pansy for having a survival instinct. I would’ve kept my mouth shut too.”</p>
<p>“No you wouldn’t.”</p>
<p>“I would,” Scho stole the bottle back and took a sip, “Man’s terrifying.”</p>
<p>Tom chuckled. He was getting tired and rested his head on Scho’s shoulder.</p>
<p>“Wait. Wait. Does. Am I off the program too?”</p>
<p>“Yeah. Told me I gotta help train the new pilots,” he put extra emphasis on the ‘s’.</p>
<p>“Damn. I’m gonna miss you,” Scho passed the bottle back.</p>
<p>“I’m gonna miss you too Scho.”</p>
<p>The wine was almost gone now. Soon it was all Tom could do to keep his eyes from closing. He was done.</p>
<p>“Lay down. ‘M tired,” he mumbled.</p>
<p>Scho obliged. The cot was small but it did not matter. Tom rested his head on Scho’s chest, the sound of his heart grounding him. He closed his eyes. Scho set the bottle on the floor, “I love you Tom.”</p>
<p>“I love you too.” </p>
<p>Scho gently kissed the top of his head and then they were both asleep. Scho’s arm around Tom’s waist.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>the tech that leads tom to the general is named after my best friend and editor. she is currently in hell. everyone pray for lansch, the only person who can keep me safe from my own recklessness.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Walking With Stars</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Quite a bit of gore in this one lads. This took way longer than expected so I'm sorry about that.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Scho opened his eyes slowly, not wanting to wake up. He had no idea what time it was. Tom was still asleep on his chest. His fist was balled tightly in Scho’s shirt. He was twitching ever so slightly, his breathing ragged. Tom was having a nightmare. Yesterday's drift came rushing back to Scho. Guilt so powerful it almost knocked him down. This was not Tom’s fault.</p><p>He rubbed slow circles on Tom’s back and talked softly to him. Trying to slowly bring him out of his dream. Eventually the twitching stopped and he released his death grip on Scho’s shirt. He opened his eyes and looked up at him. In the sickly green of the emergency lights he could see tear tracks on Tom’s face.</p><p>“Thanks,” his voice was quiet and shaking.</p><p>Scho shifted so that they lay facing each other. He wrapped Tom tightly in his arms and pressed a kiss to his forehead. Tom hugged him back and cried softly. Neither of them spoke, and that was enough.</p><p>The blanket of silence around them was comforting. Time seemed to stand still.</p><p>Scho kept his voice low, “Are you okay?”</p><p>A soft “Mmhmm.”</p><p>Scho loosened his grip a little. There was a damp spot on his shirt and, even in the darkness, he could see that Tom’s face was flushed. He ran a thumb over his cheek, “Are you sure?”</p><p>“Yes,” he sniffled, “Thank you.”</p><p>Tom buried his face in Scho’s chest. Soon they were both asleep again.</p><p>***</p><p>The second time Scho opened his eyes he was alone on the cot. A quick glance told him that Tom was at the little desk writing a letter. He finished scribbling, folded the paper, and stuffed it into an envelope. Scho watched him do all this with interest.</p><p>“Who’s that for?” he asked.</p><p>“Nobody important.” Tom stood and reached for his jacket.</p><p>Scho sat up and pulled on his shoes, shoving the laces into the sides without tying them. Tom offered him a hand and together they left for the cafeteria. Scho vaguely realized that he was wearing the same clothes, but he usually did so he did not think anybody would care. He never did anything dirty enough to warrant changing them. They walked in a comfortable silence for a while and at some point Tom grabbed his hand. Scho’s heart skipped a beat at the simple gesture. It had been a long time since anybody had loved him.</p><p>When they got to the cafeteria Scho spoke up, “Hey, follow me.”</p><p>“Where are we going?” Tom asked.</p><p>“To get some real food. The MRE’s taste like ass.”</p><p>This earned him a laugh from Tom.</p><p>He led them through the room and into a small hallway. It ended in an unmarked door that opened with a keycard. Scho pulled out his wallet and fished around in it for a bit. He selected an ID card that was definitely not his. The clearance on it read ‘Level 2’ in orange letters.</p><p>“Where did you get that?” Tom asked quietly.</p><p>“If you’ve been here as long as I have, you pick up a few things,” he held the card to the scanner and the door swung open.</p><p>“Yeah. Like things that aren’t yours,” he hissed.</p><p>“Oh relax,” he pressed a quick kiss to Tom’s cheek, “Leslie’ll never miss it.”</p><p>“It’s the Lieutenant’s?!”</p><p>Scho was already through the door which opened to a narrow, moldy hallway, “He loses them all the time. Now, do you want some real food or not?” he called.</p><p>Tom mumbled something he could not hear and joined him. Scho closed the door and grabbed his hand, giving it a squeeze, “We’re off the program. Nobody’s gonna care.”</p><p>“Alright, but the food better be good.”</p><p>They were at the end of the hallay now and Scho pushed open the door into the city, “Of course it’s good. Unless you don’t like street food.”</p><p>The streets of Hong Kong sprawled out before them. People pushing past each other in the morning rush. The smell of cooking meat was thick in the air. Behind them was what looked like an old warehouse. Scho pulled Tom forward, he already knew which way to go.</p><p>“Wait. Is this where you get all of your liquor?” Tom questioned.</p><p>Scho could feel his ears burning, “Yeah,” he said, subdued.</p><p>He pushed the past away and tried to focus on the now. He was exploring the city with the best person in the world. Tom gave his hand a reassuring squeeze, and they stepped into the busy street. The crush of bodies was hard to navigate but Scho did so with ease. He had done this many times and now was no different. He pulled Tom from stall to stall, the exotic smells filling his nose. They bought their food and sat on the ground to eat.</p><p>“Should we go back?” Tom asked.</p><p>“Why would we. No one cares.”</p><p>"Right.”</p><p>The two spent their day exploring Hong Kong. In the Boneyards, one of the kaiju ribs had narrow steps carved into it. There was a very tiny lookout area at the top where they could see the rest of the skeleton, laid throughout the area. Buildings pressed into and up against it as if it were not even there. It was amazing how easily something so huge and destructive could be covered up.</p><p>Around noon, they found themselves close to downtown. They stopped for lunch at a small buffet style restaurant. The food tasted cheap but it was still better than MRE’s. While they ate, Tom checked his phone. Scho tried to sneak a peek at what he was looking at but Tom noticed him.</p><p>“Message from Erinmore. He says he needs to see you,” he told him as he finished his food.</p><p>“Why not call me then?” Scho asks, pulling out his own phone. There were several missed calls.</p><p>“Nevermind.”</p><p>Tom laughed. It was a lovely sound, “You are in deep shit!”</p><p>“Yeah well, Erinmore can go screw himself ‘cos I’m not ready to go back.”</p><p>Tom laughed again and shook his head. Scho finished eating and paid for the meal.</p><p>They wandered down various streets, enjoying each other's company. At some point they ended up next to one of the hands of the skeleton. There was a tiny shop selling fireworks nestled in between two of the claws.</p><p>The sun was beginning to sink behind the skyline. Scho wondered absentmindedly if they should go back. He could just see the Shatterdome from where they were and guessed it was half a kilometer away. The lights on the hangar doors suddenly lit up. Now an alarm was blaring in his ears. It meant there was a kaiju close to shore.</p><p>“Scho! We have to get back to the hangar!” Tom was shouting over the sound.</p><p>Scho took his hand and began to run. The panicked crowd pushed in around them, trying to get to a shelter. They were running against the tide. He could see two of the Jaegers moving into the water. So far no sign of the kaiju, but he knew it was there. A third Jaeger stepped a little way into the water and then stood still.</p><p>It was only a little farther to the hangar now. Tom gasped and pointed. The kaiju had surfaced. It was fighting with one of the Jaegers now. As they watched it bit off the conn-pod and spat it into the tide. Scho was sure there were no survivors. They were almost at the door and he was practically dragging Tom behind him. He fumbled around in his pockets with shaking hands. Finally pulling out the keycard, he scanned it and bolted into the hallway with Tom fast on his heels. They sprinted through the cafeteria and into the main hall. When they finally arrived at Command, Leslie was waiting for them.</p><p>“It’s a double event, both category fours. We’ve already lost one Jaeger and the second kaiju just disappeared off the map,” the Lieutenant was unnaturally calm.</p><p>“Should we suit up then?” Tom asked him.</p><p>Erinmore turned to face them, “No. Your drift is too unstable. We can’t guarantee that you’ll be able to fight.”</p><p>And so they sat and watched. They watched as the first kaiju crushed one of the other Jaegers. They listened to the pilots scream for help over the comms. They watched the second kaiju surface and attack the already damaged Jaeger. The General would not allow the other Jaeger to engage. A final cry for help. The comms went silent. Only one Jaeger remained. One Jaeger against two much larger kaiju. Just as they try to fight, the second kaiju gives off an EMP burst, disabling all electronics. Both kaiju lose interest in the Jaeger and move towards the unprotected city.</p><p>“Please sir, Gipsy is nuclear. She’ll still work.” Tom begged.</p><p>Erinmore looks at them, “Suit up.”</p><p>***</p><p>Techs were dashing around, hurriedly setting up the emergency power. Scho could see them through the shielding in the conn-pod. He stepped into the rigging and locked his boots into the grips. Tom did the same to his right.</p><p>Suddenly Leslie was shouting into his ear, “...cking christ! And while you're at it get me another keycard!” Tom glared at him and mouthed, ‘He’ll never miss it?’ Scho could feel his face flush, “Alright you two. Left arm is still missing a few receivers so just be careful. Neural handshake in three. Two. One.”</p><p>Scho’s legs went weak. The warmth from Tom’s memories was overpowering as they flashed by him. He could feel him beginning to get stuck, watching as the world around him shifted.</p><p>“Don’t get lost on me!” he shouted.</p><p>His vision flickered and he was back. The drift was stable.</p><p>“You’re both holding steady at 76%. Just stay focused,” the Lieutenant called in his ear.</p><p>Tom responded, “Will do sir.”</p><p>“Prepare to drop in three. Two. One.”</p><p>Scho’s stomach lurched as the ground dropped out from under him. Their descent slowed and then stopped with a loud click. Three robotic arms attached the conn-pod to the rest of the Jaeger.</p><p>Scho vaguely wondered if Tom would be alright.</p><p>“Yeah. I can do this,” he responded out loud.</p><p>His ears were filled with static and then Leslie’s voice, “The first kaiju is nearing the city center, the second is still off the map, we can’t find it anywhere.”</p><p>“We’ll keep an eye out.” Scho answered.</p><p>They were out of the hangar, dropping down into the surf below. The water parted with every step they took. Scho could see the remaining Jaeger, scanners told him that the pilots were standing on top of the conn-pod. Tom saw this too and made a mental note to watch out for them. They were half-way to the Jaeger when out of nowhere the second kaiju surfaces, lines of electricity running down its back. The two pilots raise their arms and fire flares into the creature. One hits its eye and it tilts its head back and screams. It makes as if to crush the pilots but they are faster.</p><p>Scho reaches to grab it by the neck and pulls the kaiju into the water. On its back is a small spine that produces electricity. Tom thinks and Scho acts and together they rip it clean off and throw it into the distance. All the sparks fade instantly.</p><p>In response to this, the kaiju hurls their Jaeger into the shipyard on the shore. They land hard on the left arm. The missing receivers means that Scho was intensely aware of just how much metal he was holding up. There was a click and white lights erupt behind his eyes. To his left he sees Tom flinch.</p><p>“Are you gonna be alright?”</p><p>“Yes,” Scho hisses through gritted teeth, “I’ll be fine.”</p><p>Tom can tell he is lying and he knows it but he cannot think about that now. The kaiju has just made landfall and is headed right for them. They lift themselves up and slam their right fist down on its head.<br/>The creature shudders from the impact but recovers quickly. Scho pushes through the pain and holds its head down with his left arm. They manage to get a few good punches in before it breaks free. It rips up a crane and swings wildly, hitting the conn-pod. Tom and Scho stumble and Tom snatches a shipping crate and hits the kaiju over the head with it. It falls and Scho tries not to think about his arm.<br/>They take their fists above their heads and bring them down hard on the kaiju. It screeches in protest. Another jolt of pain runs through Scho’s arm. The creature pulls itself up and begins moving towards them. Tom holds out his arms and Scho wearily does the same. They catch its shoulders but it continues walking, pushing them back towards the sea. Together they pull the left arm back and activate the plasma cannon. One shot. Two shots. The kaiju is still walking. Scho can see its ribcage, luminescent blue blood gushing from the wound. Three shots. Four, five, six, seven. The arm of the beast is blown off. It lands heavily on the pavement below. Eight, nine. The kaiju lets out a cry and collapses the ground. The shattered remains of bone poking out through its skin. The shredded remains of what were once organs spilled onto the pavement and blood flowed freely from the gaping hole in the side of the creature. Scho was never squeamish but the combination of pain and the view made his stomach twist.</p><p>He could hear what Tom was going to say before he said it, “Only one left. Just a little longer Scho.”</p><p>He nodded his head and they began walking into the city.</p><p>Leslie spoke, “The last kaiju is in hovering around one of the shelters,”</p><p>Tom responded, “We see it, thanks.”</p><p>Sure enough, Scho could see the flick of a tail over the skyline. They weaved their way between buildings and down deserted streets. Turning a corner, they spotted it. The creature was scratching away at the ground. It suddenly dropped several feet. The realization came from Tom. It has broken into the shelter. They lifted the left leg and slammed it down hard on the tail of the kaiju. It quickly abandoned digging at the shelter and spun on them, ripping its tail out from under them.</p><p>Balling their right hand into a fist, they bashed it across the face. The creature reeled. It brought its tail up and gripped tightly to the left hand, crushing it. Pain exploded in Scho’s head and he let out a small scream. He could feel hot rage pouring off of Tom. He fired the last shot in the plasma cannon at the kaiju, causing it to let go with a screech.<br/>Leslie was shouting at them over the sound of the battle, “Blake you’re out of alignment! What’s going on over there!?”</p><p>“Nothing Sir. I’ve got it under control,” Tom was lying through his teeth and Scho knew it. If he was not in so much pain he might have laughed. As it was, they were in the middle of fighting a kaiju.</p><p>Scho could see it round the corner at the end of the block and disappear. They trudged after it. Tom slowly began to calm down and his mind relaxed. When they reached the end of the street it was<br/>nowhere to be found. Tom pulled up the scanner and it showed that they should be right on top of it.</p><p>The building beside them burst apart, sending metal and glass work at them. The kaiju slammed into their side, knocking them into the next building. Tom got a hit in across its face. The creature pushed them back against the building. Judging by the warning lights, something had been knocked loose. It gripped them by the shoulders and flung them around, tossing them clean through a building. They fall to the ground. Pulling themselves up, they swing a fist at it. The kaiju catches it with its tail and tries to claw at the conn-pod.</p><p>A thought forces its way into Scho's mind. He disengages from the controls and opens a small screen. To his right he can see Tom struggling to hold the kaiju off and behind him the enormous, snapping, tail of the beast. He quickly types a command into the panel and steps back into alignment, helping to hold off the razor sharp talons getting ever closer.</p><p>On the right side of the Jaeger, three panels open, releasing coolant directly onto the tail of the kaiju. Slowly, the tail began to still, frost creeping up the edges of the claws. Now it has stopped all together. They reached around and slammed into it. The muscles, still raw, were left exposed, drenched in blue blood, as the skin shattered and fell to the ground. The creature screamed in pain as they pulled the damaged tail completely off, tossing it to the side. Torn muscle and shattered bone protrude from the base of its spine. Blood gushing from the wound.</p><p>The kaiju roars at them and jumps at them, gripping the torso of the Jaeger tightly with its hind legs. It pushes them onto their back and screams into the night sky, raising its arms up as it does so. Scho realizes what it is doing with dawning horror. Leathery wings snap out from its arms. The kaiju can fly.</p><p>With a few powerful beats from its wings, they are up in the sky. The kaiju continues gaining altitude with every second. Warning lights are flashing everywhere in the conn-pod. The comms crackle in their ears, “If you go too much higher you won’t be able to land safely.”</p><p>Scho reaches through the pain for the kaiju’s right wing. Tom senses what he’s doing and joins in, grabbing onto the thing’s lower jaw. Together they rip it apart, sending blue everywhere. There is a moment of stillness. Then they begin to fall. Sparks erupt from something behind them in the conn-pod. Tom presses something on his screen, sending a jet of flame from the reactor intake. It slows the decent enough so that they will survive the landing. He screams into Scho’s mind and they brace for impact.</p><p>Hitting the ground brings another resounding crack from Scho’s arm. Red and white lights explode behind his eyes. It is all he can do to stay conscious. There is no doubt in his mind that his arm is fractured or maybe even broken. The corners of his vision are beginning to fade. He barely registers the voice in his head telling him to hold on. Across the comms, Leslie informs them to stay put as help is coming.</p><p>Scho reaches up with his right hand and rips off his visor. He steps clumsily out of the rigging and onto the side of the conn-pod. Tom follows quickly behind him and helps him slowly to the floor, holding him close to his chest. He rests his head on the other man's shoulder and lets the warm darkness take him. The last thing he hears is Tom telling him everything is going to be okay.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>if you're from the 2nd Devon's server then Hello! If you're Eliza, then, er, please be safe. If I've taught you anything then you'll know exactly where I'm drawing from for what the food at the Shatterdome is like. I miss you.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Calm Before The Storm</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>sorry for taking so long i got distracted. i will try to get the last two chapters out in the next week or so. bear with me.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The world around Scho was spinning. Everyone seemed to be okay with this. He wandered through the fog of his mind, trying to figure out where he was. All he could see was a rough metal ceiling. He remembered Tom’s fingers carding through his hair as he fell asleep. Tom. Where was Tom?</p><p>Scho tried to push himself up only to find that he had been restrained. When he tried to get his arms free he was rewarded with a blinding pain. He screamed through his teeth. His vision was clouded by small black spots. Now there was a hand on his right shoulder and a quiet voice in his ear. Tom.</p><p>“It’s alright. You’re gonna be okay. Just go back to sleep,” the hand moved to his cheek, soft and warm. The pain was beginning to fade. He drank in the warm touch and then the blackness took him.</p><p>***</p><p>A dull ache in his left shoulder brought him out of his sleep. Scho blinked in the light. The room around him was a stunning white. A med room. His lower  left arm was in a plaster and his shoulder had been braced with metal poles and bandages. Tom sat in a chair at the foot of his bed, head resting on the sheets, asleep. Scho tried to sit up to touch him but a sharp pain burst from his upper arm. He fell back with a choked cry.</p><p>“Scho what’re you,” Tom sat up, “Hey. Don’t get up. Just relax.”</p><p>He gently pushed Scho back onto the pillows under him, careful not to touch his shoulder. Tom pressed a little kiss against his hairline. He sensed the question before Scho could even ask, “You were out for almost 26 hours. The doctors said you fractured your arm and dislocated your shoulder.”</p><p>“I really am a mess aren’t I?” Scho’s voice was raspy at best. </p><p>“You scared the shit outta me Scho. Don’t ever do that again,” he held his hand against the other’s cheek and Scho leaned into it.</p><p>“I won’t, I promise.”</p><p>One of the nurses walked in with a clipboard in her hands. She wore a sour expression on her face as she went about checking him over. Fiddling with the metal brace on his shoulder.</p><p>“How long are those gonna have to be there?” The steel was like ice against his skin.</p><p>She checked her clipboard, flipping through a few pages, “Two more days. The plaster’s gonna be a week at least, even with speedhealing.”</p><p>Scho sighed, throwing his head back into the pillows. He stared at the fluorescent tubes lighting the room. Tom takes Scho’s hand in his own and rubs his knuckles, “It’s not fair that you get to sleep for a week while I still have to work,” he whined</p><p>“Why do you have to work? You were dropped, remember? We both were.”</p><p>“Not anymore were not. We're back on the team! The General was impressed with how well we held it together.” Tom was beaming.</p><p>“Are you sure that’s the only reason?” </p><p>The smile quickly vanished off his face, “When the first two Jaegers went down, most of the trainees quit on the spot. Us and the Striker team are all that’s left of the program.”</p><p>The Striker pilots. They were a pair indeed. Francis Atkins had been a pilot for years and he and Scho were good friends. The guy was friendly enough. How he was compatible with Patrick Parry was anybody's guess. Parry was a vicious new pilot. He fought just about anybody he could get his hands on and almost always lost. It was a miracle he had made it through basic training alive.</p><p>The flare he saw must have been Parry. That was something reckless enough for him to do. Could have gotten the bastard killed. Scho doubted he would feel sorry for him. He would feel rather bad for Atkins though. Despite all their differences, the two seemed to be really good friends.</p><p>“So we’ve got you, a pilot with an emotional drift. Me, who wants nothing more than to get out of this hellhole. And two dumbasses with a nuke. This cannot get any better.”</p><p>Tom laughed. It was such a lovely sound. Even at the end of the world, he could still find someone like Scho funny. </p><p>A thought passed his eyes and his cheeks turned pink, “Do, do you still have that keycard by any chance? The food here really does suck.”</p><p>Scho held back a chuckle, “Of course. It’s in my left jacket pocket.”</p><p>Tom nodded, “I’ll get you something too,” he planted a kiss on Scho’s forehead, “Love you.”</p><p>“I love you too,” Scho could feel the blush forming on his cheeks.</p><p>Tom was out the door. Now that he was gone, Scho realized just how tired he was. His arm was killing him and all he wanted to do was sleep. Sleep for a thousand years. He closed his eyes and watched half formed dreams flash by his eyes.</p><p>***</p><p>A nurse was gently shaking Scho awake. He opened his eyes, annoyed. He had been in the middle of what must have been a fabulous dream although the details were beginning to slip away. The nurse was holding a tray of food. Only instead of stale cafeteria food, it was a small take-out box. The smell was heavenly.</p><p>“Mr. Blake left this for you.” She quickly left.</p><p>The box was packed with rice and greasy meat. To Scho it was a godsend. He ate with his fingers, barely even bothering to chew. It was still warm and he wondered why Tom had not woken him up himself. </p><p>Time passed slowly but with every hour his arm felt better. Nurses came and went, checking his plaster, changing the bandages holding the metal brace to his skin. He watched movies on his phone, scrolled through the same three socials, looking for something to talk about. It seemed that no one was online however and things were deathly quiet. Tom would text him every other hour or so to check up on him. From what he said, he was quite busy. That could be why he had not woken Scho up.</p><p>General Erinmore had the Jaeger pilots running drills. Tom was at a slight disadvantage as he was only one but, from what he said, he was doing quite well. Scho wished he could be there with him. The med room was starting to close in on him.</p><p>Tom would come to visit him every morning and almost every evening. Sometimes he was just too tired and Scho would get a text goodnight from him. After the metal braces came off his shoulder, his arm was put in a sling and he was allowed to wander, but only for a little while. At the end of the day he still had to come back to the med bay.</p><p>Once he tried to sneak into the simulator with Tom for a drill but he was caught and sent away. The next time he tried there were two guards standing by the entrance. Instead he watched from an observation platform.</p><p>His arm felt weak but Scho was determined not to acknowledge it. Believing wrongfully it would go away soon. It had been six days since the injury now. Six days after the last attack when the alarm sounded, telling of more kaiju on their way. He had one more day before his arm would be fully healed but there was no one to take his place in the conn-pod.</p><p>Scho made his way to the med bay. They made quick work of the plaster, sawing it off of his arm. He had broken a fair share of bones in his life and was not at all surprised by how much his muscles had atrophied. It was a struggle to hold a glass of water without shaking, and there was still an overall dull ache.</p><p>Tom did not want him to fight. He was convinced that they would be able to find another pilot. That someone else in the base would be compatible with him. Scho should not fight with his arm still injured.</p><p>“Even with speedhealing it’ll still be damaged. We can find another pilot,” he looked desperate.</p><p>“Really Tom, I’ll be fine. I doubt we’ll be dropped from space again and Leslie said they got new receivers for the Jaeger.” </p><p>Tom hugged him close, “Promise you won’t get hurt,” he whispered into Scho’s shoulder.</p><p>Scho kissed his crown, “I promise.”</p><p>They suited up and met with the Striker pilots, Parry and Atkins. The two were standing by the General. Parry looked so excited he might jump out of his skin. When Erinmore caught Tom’s eye he waved them over.</p><p>“Blake, Schofield, you two will be guarding Striker. Making sure she can deliver the payload. As of right now we have two category fours hovering over the breach but we’ve been told there may be a third so keep an eye out.”</p><p>The pilots nodded and moved to their conn-pods. Scho would be lying if he said he was not nervous. He was so terrified his hands shook when he tried to put on his helmet. Tom had to help him. </p><p>They both stepped into the rigging. His left arm was still a little stiff but nothing too bad. Switching on their comms, they hear Leslie counting down for the drift. </p><p>Three. Two. One.</p><p>Tom’s mind slammed into his.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. It's All Too Red</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>little gory lads. i have no self control. didnt beta read this bad boi cos its 2:30 in the morning. ill do it later. also (and i know i say this a lot) sorry in advance.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tom could feel the phantom pains in his left arm from Scho. It was so similar to that night. In the drift memories could not be so easily pushed away. Instead one has to bury them beneath another, stronger memory. This had always been difficult for Tom before. Now he had Scho. In his mind he pictured the view from the top of the kaiju rib, seeing the skeleton spread throughout the cityscape. Large hands resting on his waist, holding him close on the tiny platform. He was safe.</p><p>Beside him Scho visibly relaxed. Fear still dripped from the man but he was calmer. The pain in Tom’s arm faded and he hoped that it faded for Scho too. Hoped that it was not just one of them becoming detached. Their drift needed to be as strong as possible if they were going to do this.</p><p>The floor dropped away beneath them and the conn-pod was attached to the rest of the Jaeger. Rough robotic arms twisted bolts into place, plugged lines into their respective boxes. Tom felt the Jaeger begin to weigh on his mind. It was an extension of his own body, heavy and metal.</p><p>The two lifted their right hands in sync, confirming the link between them. The Jaeger responded, raising its own fist. Moving that much metal so suddenly caused them both to adjust their footing in order to stay standing.</p><p>Leslie’s grating voice sounded over the comms, “Your drift looks stable. Schofield, we’ll be monitoring your vitals. If we tell you both not to do something, treat it as the word of god, understood? We cannot afford to lose anymore bloody pilots.”</p><p>Scho responded with the proper, “Yes Sir.”</p><p>Tom spoke loudly, “Up yours Lieutenant!” and promptly switched off his comms. Scho chuckled next to him at what was most likely a barrage of insults directed at Tom. They were going to save the fucking world.</p><p>There was a familiar click as the support struts were attached to the Jaeger and the conn-pod shook lightly as they were lifted into the sky. The flight took a little over an hour, which Tom would have known if he had bothered to turn his comms back on. Leslie briefed them on the mission but there was no need. This had been all he could think about for the past six days. He knew the plan by heart at this point. Scho was the one he was worried about. Erinmore had assured him that he was a great fighter but the most recent time he had been in a Jaeger had landed him a massive injury.</p><p>“Transport disengaged.”</p><p>The struts snapped off and they fell into the water below, the other Jaeger falling beside them. Tom finally switched his comms back on. The other two pilots, Parry and Atkins chatting excitedly in his ear.</p><p>“I wonder what it’ll look like?” Parry wondered.</p><p>“What what will look like?” Atkins asked.</p><p>“The explosion! It’s a whole bloody nuke. Underwater. How cool is that?!”</p><p>“I’m sorry to tell you this but, we won’t get to see it. It’ll be in the breach when it goes off.”</p><p>“Well that’s fuckin’ boring. I wanted to see.”</p><p>Tom could hear the pout on Parry’s face. He snickered to himself. Even so, he could still feel the weight of the mission. This could be the last thing they ever do. They could all die and nothing would change. At this point, any distraction was a welcome one.</p><p>“All ports closed,” Tom announced as they marched deeper into the water. </p><p>Leslie laughed, “So. You’re finally back huh? Never do that again or I’ll kill you.”</p><p>“Understood Sir,” it was all he could do to keep his voice level.</p><p>Water rose up around them until they were beneath the surface. Fish swam desperately to get out of their way. Just ahead they were able to make out Striker and the massive bomb strapped to the back of her. </p><p>They reached the drop. A large cliff that would take them to the bottom of the ocean. Striker jumped first, sinking out of sight. Scho hesitated. Tom whispered reassurance to him within the drift. Together they jumped. A small screen displayed the ever increasing pressure on the hull of the Jaeger. </p><p>Leslie, “Two kaiju. Category fours. Haven’t left the breach yet.” </p><p>They hit the bottom, bracing themselves carefully with their right arm. Even with receivers, pilots were still vaguely aware of the pressure on their Jaeger. All the receivers did was make it bearable to the human body. They would still have to be careful of Scho’s injury during any fighting.</p><p>It was too dark to see so they switched to scanners. The visor was covered with thick metal and a holoscape of the surroundings filled the space before them. It was rather rough as it was based off of previously made maps and not as much on footage of the area.</p><p>“Kaiju! Heading straight for you Gipsy!” Leslie was shouting much louder than necessary.</p><p>Scho checked the scanner, “We can’t see it.”</p><p>“Now it’s circling Striker! How can you not fuckin’ see this?” Leslie sounded frantic.</p><p>Atkins spoke up, “Sir, we don’t see it either. Our scanner is blank.”</p><p>“I wish there was a kaiju. I’m itching for a fight,” Parry said.</p><p>“What the fuck is wrong with you four! It’s right bloody there! Now it’s circling back to the breach!” </p><p>“We can see the breach but no kaiju yet Sir,” Tom tried to diffuse the situation.</p><p>Underwater volcanoes spewed boiling water up around them. Up ahead, the breach came into view. The scanners were unable to distinguish what material it was made out of so it was displayed as a toxic green. No kaiju were in sight and Tom had no idea what the Lieutenant was talking about. How could he see it but not them? It made no sense.</p><p>The two Jaegers marched towards the breach. Stone towers loomed up out of the blackness and fish were scarce. Something past the breach shifted unnaturally. </p><p>“Two kaiju! They’re holding across the breach!”</p><p>This time Tom could see them. The scanners showed two blue masses behind the crack of green. They held perfectly still. Tom and Scho braced for a fight but the Striker team continued towards the breach. They could hear the pilots arguing over the comms.</p><p>“They’ve stopped. Why’d they stop?” Atkins almost sounded afraid.</p><p>“I can’t give a fuck why they’ve stopped! It’s only two hundred more meters to the breach!”</p><p>“There’s got to be a reason why two kaiju aren’t coming after us!”</p><p>“We’ve gotta fuckin’ jump! The breach is right there!”</p><p>Leslie shouted, “Wait! Don’t do it!”</p><p>“Fuck do’ya mean don’t do it?” Atkins’ voice was shaking.</p><p>“The General just told me it won’t work. Something about needing a special code to get through the breach that only the kaiju have. That’s why it’s never worked before. You need to ride a kaiju into the breach if you’re ever going to get through,” Leslie said.</p><p>Just then the green lights representing the breach began to brighten. It was almost blinding.</p><p>“Third signature emerging from the breach! It’s a… Oh fuck. It’s a category five!”</p><p>A massive creature rose from the breach. The scanner was struggling to tell its features apart. All Tom and Scho could see was an enormous blue shape. Tom twitched involuntarily and fear poured from Scho.</p><p>The kaiju approached Striker. It placed four large feet on the ocean floor and still managed to be taller than the Jaeger. The creature opened a toothy jaw. Even under the water, through a foot and a half of solid metal, Tom could still hear the roar of the beast. It shook him to his core. </p><p>The fear from Scho only doubled. Tom tried to push the memory of their day in the city at him. He sent the warm feeling he felt into the drift, hoping it found its mark in Scho’s mind. The other man seemed to calm a little.</p><p>The two could hear Atkins curse loudly. Striker braced for combat, unsheathing two large blades on the ends of the Jaeger’s arms. The kaiju only roared louder in response.</p><p>“Hold on Striker! We’re one hundred meters back and we’re on our way!” Tom called.</p><p>A blue glow bloomed from their left and one of the kiju slammed full on into their left side. Scho grunted in pain, clearly trying to hide just how much it hurt but Tom felt it all. It was hard to hide things like that in the drift.</p><p>They twisted and caught the kaiju by what appeared to be its horns. It clawed at the body of the Jaeger and a stripe of pain ran down Tom’s stomach. It was nothing he could not handle however. </p><p>The category five rose up in the water and something shifted below it. Striker raised its arms in defence but a massive blow sent them flying back, landing hard against an outcropping of rock. </p><p>Atkins called out “Parry! Are you alright!”</p><p>“I’m fine. I’ll rip this bastard in half!” Parry responded.</p><p>Tom raised his right arm, deploying the plasma cannon. The scanners showed the second kaiju coming up directly behind them. Before they could turn to face it, it had its jaws around the right arm of the Jaeger. Pulling it off without even stopping. </p><p>Tom screamed. Scho’s legs went weak and for a second, the only thing holding him up was the rigging. Oil and shrapnel floated out into the depths of the ocean. The first kaiju took hold of the Jaeger by its head, spinning them to face it. It sank its teeth into their right leg, sending waves of pain through the pilots.</p><p>With their remaining arm, they pulled the creature off and slammed its head onto the seafloor. Beside them was one of the underwater volcanoes. It spewed fire into the cold ocean. The two shifted their grip and pressed the kaiju’s face into the boiling water. It screeched in pain and they could see bits of charred flesh float up past them.</p><p>The creature reached up with a hind leg and kicked them off, freeing itself. It whimpered. On the scanners a thick cloud of dark purple trailed from its face. </p><p>In the distance, a blue light began to rush at them. With only one arm, they were defencelece. The plasma cannon would not be enough to save them. As the blue light gained form, they saw it was the second kaiju, the one that ripped off their arm. When it got closer, it opened its jaw. Scho saw an opportunity. Tom felt it in the drift and lifted his left arm, taking as much of Scho’s pain as he could.</p><p>At the last second, they dropped to the ground, catching the kaiju by the jaw. The arm sank deep into the mouth and they gripped tight to the spine of the creature. Pulling it loose and stripping it from the muscle above. </p><p>Warnings blared from every screen but they held on. Eventually the spine began to invert and they pulled down, using it as a blade to slice through the kaiju. The creature still had enough momentum to allow the makeshift blade to slice almost all the way through it.</p><p>An omonis ripping sound came from the arm as they lost the strength to keep it up. The limb was thrust back, viciously tearing at the metal joints. Tom took as much of the pain as he could. Anything to keep Scho from hurting. His vision whited out and little red lights danced behind his eyes.</p><p>Now the tearing sound was coming from Tom’s own shoulder. If he screamed, he did not hear it. Finally, the pressure on the Jaeger was gone. Behind them lay the almost halved corpse of the kaiju. His vision cleared. Scho was staring at him with a terrified look on his face.</p><p>Leslie called out to him, “Blake! Your heart rate is way too high. Are you alright? What’s happening down there?”</p><p>“It’s okay. I’m. I’m alright,” he wheezed. Something in his shoulder had definitely been torn, “Let’s just finish the mission.”</p><p>Atkins' voice sounded in the comms, shaking and afraid, “Sir the release for the payload is jammed! We’re still good but the hull is compromised and half our systems are gone!”</p><p>Parry sounded equally as terrified, “We need to override the-” </p><p>A massive crash. Tom and Scho looked to see the category five kaiju slam into Striker again. The pilots screamed as the creature dragged them back, away from the breach. It clawed at the conn-pod, the pilots were helpless to stop it.</p><p>Finally, it let them go. They plunged their blades into the kaiju’s arms, slicing almost all the way through. Purple drifted through the holoscape as kaiju blood spilled into the ocean. It backed off and let out a low screech. The sound resonated in Tom’s organs and made his stomach churn. He swallowed back bile.</p><p>The burnt kaiju shot past them, the current almost knocking them off their feet. Both kaiju were rushing through the water towards the Jaeger. Tom and Scho were painfully slow compared to them. Every step sent a spear of pain through Tom’s right leg.</p><p>Scho called out to them, “Hold on you two! We’re coming!” </p><p>They pitifully dragged the broken Jaeger across the seafloor. The right side of the rigging was entirely unresponsive. Walking ment agony for Tom as he refused to share any of the pain with Scho. His brother used to do the same thing for him, taking all of the hurt.</p><p>“No!” Parry shouted, “Don’t! We’re gonna detonate the bomb. See if we can’t take out both the kaiju while we’re at it.”</p><p>“Gipsy’s nuclear,” Atkins continued, “You can take one of our trophies into the breach. We’ll allow it.”</p><p>“Yeah but try to take the smaller one. I want the big one's head hanging in my living room.” Parry joked.</p><p>Leslie suddenly spoke, “Striker, your escape pods are offline.”</p><p>There was a tense silence. After what seemed like days, Atkins spoke, “This is Francis Atkins. The payload has been armed. Striker team signing off.”</p><p>Static.</p><p>The two kaiju were on top of Striker now. </p><p>The bomb did not make any sound. At least not any sound Tom could hear. Maybe it had deafened him before he was able to register it. Using their one arm, they clung to a spire of rock and hoped for the best.</p><p>Water rushed past them, then all that was left was open air. It appeared white on the holoscape compared to the black of the water. They took the time to look around, never letting go of their rock spire. When they turned to look behind them they were greeted with a wall of water only a couple of meters from them. Bracing against the rocks had little effect. After a few seconds, it snapped under their weight, sending them towards where the Striker Jaeger used to be.</p><p>Warnings blared and the ambient lights shifted to deep red. Most of the systems were down. Scho’s escape pod was intact but the sensor on Tom’s had been destroyed. He had no idea if it was functional.</p><p>The mostly charred corpse of a kaiju lay before them. Its spine and ribcage were exposed, flesh vaporized. The horns told them it was the smaller of the two. They gripped it by the neck and began dragging it to the breach.</p><p>The edge of the breach shined with a sickly green. They were almost there.</p><p>A crash. The larger of the kaiju had survived the explosion and was now standing before them. It tried to roar but all that came out was a choked scream. It was on its last legs. The creature jumped forward and latched onto them. They spun and it pushed them right into the breach.</p><p>The creature seemed to have realized its mistake as it began to kick and claw at them but they held tight, gripping onto a fin on its back. Barbed tails came up, ripping into the back of the Jaeger. Tom took the brunt of the pain but he was growing weaker.</p><p>As they sank into the breach, the kaiju slowly died from its wounds. Purple surrounded the body as they descend. The pain grew lesser but Tom was spent. </p><p>Light danced around them. Streams of it latching onto the kaiju corpse, reading an invisible code. Then they were through. Everything around them was foriegn to the scanners and all they could see was green.</p><p>Even with all the pain Tom took, Scho still felt it. Paired with the pain he already had in his left arm and he was on the verge of passing out. His breathing was ragged and his eyes were barely open.</p><p>“It’s okay Scho,” Tom’s voice shook, betraying him, “We did it. I can take it from here.”</p><p>Scho nodded. He reached to activate his escape pod but stopped when he saw the screen. </p><p>“Your pod is broken. Tom. You can’t. Your pod is broken,” he sounded like he was about to cry.</p><p>“It’s not, I checked okay? It’s fine. I’ll be right behind you.”</p><p>A lie.</p><p>Scho gave him one last look before activating his pod. The rigging tilted him up and into the device. The pod sending him towards the surface. All Tom had to do now was activate the meltdown and pray his pod really did work.</p><p>He reached for the screen and punched in the override code. It flashed red. A little text box informing him that he had to do a manual override. It would take time but it was possible. He stepped out of the rigging, carefully so as to avoid the damaged metal. It stuck out in sharp points across the hull of the conn-pod.</p><p>Alarms blared in his ears as he made his way to the back of the conn-pod. With every step his body hurt less and less. His strength was coming back to him but slowly. Tom reached the back and sank down to the floor. He opened a little hatch that contained the switch for the manual override.</p><p>It was easy, pull it out, twist ninety degrees to the left, and push it back down. A calm voice spoke over the alarms, informing him that the override had been started. He had sixty seconds. As he was standing up, a massive quake struck the Jaeger, knocking him off his feet and pushing him against the wall. </p><p>A cold, soft sensation bloomed in his lower abdomen. Looking down only made the feeling turn white hot. About an inch of metal stuck out from the front of his suit. He had been impaled on part of the damaged hull.</p><p>It hurt. It hurt so fucking bad. He screamed. He screamed for Scho. He screamed for his big brother. He screamed for someone, anyone, to help him. It felt as if shattered glass was running through his veins.</p><p>In the red lights, his blood appeared black. A dark viscous substance flowing from the stab in his stomach. His hands began to grow cold and all he wanted to do was sit down. Every time he thought about just sliding down the wall, the metal cut deeper into him.</p><p>He cried for his brother. Begged anybody who would listen to let Joe be here with him. To help him. To tell him he would be alright. A horrible part of his brain told him that soon he would get to see him again and he only cried harder. He did not want to die. Not here. He wanted to live the rest of his sad life with Scho. He loved Scho so much.</p><p>The voice was back, telling him he only had thirty seconds left. If he was going to stand even a chance of living, he had to get up. He had to push himself off of the metal and get back into the rigging.</p><p>Tom braced his hands on the cold metal behind him, and pushed. His vision flickered and for a second he was worried he might fall, slicing himself open even more. With one more push he was off the wall. Warm blood ran down his back. It felt horribly similar to standing under a hot shower.</p><p>Twenty seconds.</p><p>He had made his way around the conn-pod and was struggling to get back into the rigging. Lifting his arms hurt, standing without support hurt, twisting his torso hurt. Tears streamed down his face.</p><p>The little screen that displayed the escape pod status quickly became covered in his blood as he typed. Through the dark liquid, he could see the error message. His pod was too damaged to function. He would have to manually override it and hope for the best. It hurt so fucking bad.</p><p>Tom missed Joe terribly. Maybe it would not be so bad to see him again. He would be so angry with Tom for just letting himself die however. He would yell at him for just giving up.</p><p>Ten seconds.</p><p>Through the smeared blood, he put in the override code. The rigging lifted him up into the escape pod. It did not look too damaged. The door sealed under him and he allowed himself to relax.</p><p>Five seconds.</p><p>The pod launched. Flying towards the surface. Now he could tell how the pod had been damaged. It had no oxygen. He could not breathe. The only upside to this was that his stomach began to hurt less and less. </p><p>Blood soaked his entire back now. He could feel it in his hair. In the fog of his mind, he wished he had told Scho he loved him just one more time.</p><p>The corners of his vision went silver. Then black. Then he was gone. </p><p>The pod shook as the Jaeger exploded into light below him.</p>
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